Leaving Blues
by thelittlelime
Summary: Terence spends most of his 7th year waiting.


Disclaimer: As much as I wish I did, I own absolutely nothing (except the plot)

Authors Notes: The Song is Leaving Blues by Bombay Bicycle Club (Give it a listen! )

_Now your back's to the road.  
The waiting's everything you know_

They say that waiting's the hardest part of any process. Terence knows this all too well. He's waited for many things in his 17 years. For his father to come to his senses and leave the Death Eaters, for the other houses to stop looking at Slytherins as though they were nothing but pure blood supremacists, and most recently for Marcus to apologize. While none of them are likely, he knows there's a better chance of the first two happening before Marcus comes around.

_I'm sure you know that I'm leaving_

Terence sits in the stands and watches practice. It doesn't take long to notice that Malfoy's rubbish. He spends more time gloating and showing off for Parkinson and the gaggle of 2nd years that have shown up to watch him than actually attempting to catch the snitch. When he finally does start trying, it takes him 40 minutes. Terence knows he could have caught it in 15. Malfoy turns to blow a kiss to Parkinson and crashes into the Hufflepuff stands. Terence looks up at Marcus who's turned an interesting shade of red and they lock eyes. He knows he should laugh, or sneer as the Slytherin part of him is dying to do. Being thrown off the Quidditch team in your final year for some incompetent brat and his money is enough to make anyone bitter. Especially when it's Marcus that makes the call to kick him off. Marcus, who's always been part of his life. Marcus who used to lie beside him in the center of the empty pitch after sneaking out at night to watch the stars. Marcus who knows all his secrets. Marcus who knows that he breathes Quidditch more than air. Terence doesn't laugh. He holds the eye contact for a few seconds and watches Marcus' expression slowly change from indifference, to defiance and finally to something closer to shame. Only then does he break eye contact and leave the stands.

_Keep the thought of you aflame_

Terence spends a lot of time thinking about the way things used to be. Now that there's no more Quidditch, it feels like he has nothing but free time. He thinks about the feeling of being in the air chasing the snitch and how Adrian always said he was born to fly. He thinks about the mixture of nerves and adrenaline he'd feel before a game, and how he could live on that alone. But mostly he thinks about Marcus. About the way he barked orders at the team until it became impossible not to hate him. As much as they wanted to at times, they never managed to. Terence Higgs feels many things for Marcus Flint, but hate isn't one of them. He finds himself thinking of the look Marcus would give him whenever he caught the snitch to win them the game. Imagining him giving Malfoy that same look makes him feel sick, so he stops thinking about it and pulls out his transfiguration work instead.

_Curse God for my regret  
I miss you indefinite_

The first match against Gryffindor goes terribly. Malfoy spends the entire time showing off and antagonizing Potter only to fall on his arse and have the snitch snatched out from under his nose. Terence knows he'll leave the locker room with more than a few fresh bruises, but oddly enough all he feels is pity for the second year. He takes his time walking back to the castle and by the time he gets back to the common room it's deserted. He sits down on the armchair furthest from the entrance and stares out the window until he's so relaxed he doesn't know what he's looking at anymore. His concentrations broken and his head whips around to look at the entrance when he hears the door slam open. Marcus stands across the room from him, still in his Quidditch robes. His chest rises and falls rapidly and his face is flushed as it always is after he's gotten worked up about something. His expression is furious until he notices he's not alone and when his eyes find Terence's they look more dejected than angry. Marcus remains silent and standing at the common room entrance, but they hold eye contact for so long that Terence can feel something start to stir in his chest.

"Terence…" Marcus begins, voice laced with something akin to regret. Before he can continue they hear the sounds of the rest of the team approaching the entrance. Marcus looks at him a second longer before turning and quickly heading upstairs to the 7th year boys dormitories. Terence winces at the sound of the door slamming shut.

_The waiting's everything you know_

Terence spends the rest of the term waiting for an apology that never comes. The pain of being off the Quidditch team dulls, but another pain remains ever present. Conversations with Marcus become nonexistent, until all that's left is the eye contact they occasionally share that says more than any words could. Terence waits for Marcus to say something. Something that could fix everything and make things go back to the way they used to be, but Marcus is nothing if not stubborn. Terence is stubborn too, but a different kind of stubborn. While Marcus refuses to apologize, Terence refuses to stop waiting.

_I'm sure you know that I'm leaving_

Graduation comes quickly. Terence boards the Hogwarts express for the last time and thinks about everything he's leaving behind. The school, his dormitory, his friends, and Marcus. The compartment he sits in is full of Slytherin Quidditch team members. Though he wasn't on the team with them, they were still his friends and he refused to blame them for Marcus' decision. Marcus sits on the other side of the compartment and is loudly laughing at whatever story Adrian's telling. Terence stares out the window and counts the trees until they reach Kings Cross Station.

When they reach the station everyone clamors out of the compartment except for Terence. He stares out the window and reflects on the fact that this will be his last memory of school before turning around to face the door. Marcus leans against the doorframe staring at Terence. He walks forward until he's close enough to hear Terence's soft breaths and reaches in to the pocket of his robes to pull something out. It's a crumpled piece of paper which he shoves into Terence's hand before taking a step back. He opens his mouth to speak, eyes full of something Terence can't quite recognize before changing his mind and quickly exiting the compartment. Terence gently unravels the paper in his hands and reads it with a small smile.

_I'm Sorry - M_


End file.
